8yo needs reading improvement

[Motherjoy]

My third grader needs to make some big jumps in his reading, and I'm really lost about what to do. I've been through this before with my oldest, but I still need advice. The other two older boys are natural readers, and the 7yo reads at a much higher level than the 8yo. I used the San Diego Quick Assessment and my 8yo had the following scores: independent level -1, instructional level - 2, frustration level - 2. He's finished TRL, and we moved into the ER books. He can read Frog and Toad just fine and some of the early ones just fine, but Buffalo Bill is too hard.

What kinds of drill do I need to do each day? What about sight word flashcards? HELP?!!

[LovingJesus]

I understand where you are coming from so I can share what I did do, with the hopes it might help some.

Like you my oldest is a natural reader, and figured out reading very young. His reading has always been very advanced for his age, and still is.

My second born though, the first I really taught to read, was more like your 8 year old last year in 3rd grade. He is a late spring Birthday, so was age 8 most of last school year. I am sure last year he would have tested like your current 3rd grader. He had done phonics, he actually did the Reading Lesson at age 5 or 6 and R&S phonics at age 7 to help with reading and could do both, and in 3rd was reading around an early 2nd grade level. It just wasn't fully coming together. He could spell, but struggled to read easily. I came to the conclusion last year that every child has their own reading time table of when it comes together!

What I did was had him read the first and second grade Pathway readers last year to build confidence. The readings tend to be longer, without very many pictures. So the challenge was there in the length and type of the words. He would read a page, I would read a page, he would read a page, and on we would go. I just worked where he was at. Around his 9th Birthday, at the end of 3rd grade, it suddenly came together. I could tell that he could really read and his reading level started climbing quickly. This year I am having him read to me daily below where he is at, and working on comprehension to make sure it is there. He is reading around a 4th grade level at this point, but I am still using around 2.5 - 3.3 for reading aloud to me and comprehension questions to make sure his confidence builds now that these levels are so very easy for him (I am actually using the ERs for it). Then I hope to inspire him to enjoy reading and help him become comfortable reading for longer periods at the level he is able to read at. Since it took him longer to learn to read that enjoyment part isn't there yet. I am hoping it comes together this year.

One thing I have noticed is my natural readers enjoy reading and practice it a lot. They also tell me they think in words. So it comes together quickly. The one whose reading has come slower is highly visual, thinks in pictures, and rather look at the pictures in a book that tell the story than read the words. I think this all plays into the process of learning to read. His natural abilities are very strong in different areas from my first and third borns. God makes them each with their own gifts & strengths that make some areas easy, and others just take a little longer.

I hope this helps~

[my3sons]

Since you just moved into the Emerging Reader's Set, you will have some time before ds gets to "Buffalo Bill." It is used in Unit 15, and I remember thinking 'no way is my ds going to be able to read that' and he actually improved enough to read it quite well by the time he got to it! One thing we did to spread out the ERS was have Emmett read both Bibles. He read his way first through the 'Early Reader's Bible' and second through the 'Beginner's Bible.' This added around 9 weeks to the ERS. It also built his confidence and gave him more time to practice his reading. Another thing that can be done to stretch out the ERS and levels is to use your library to get the supplemental books suggested each week. By doing these 2 things, the ERS can be stretched across 1 1/2 to 2 years. You could also have ds do "Explode the Code," which are some inexpensive phonics workbooks that are fun. I think LovingJesus had some great ideas too!!!

In Christ,
Julie